CBViewer is a program that lets you read comic books that have been scanned in to a computer and are stored in a comic book archive. CBViewer can read ZIP and CBZ files without any extra support. If you would like to view CBR or RAR files you will also need to get the unrar utility from the rarlabs website.
Currently there are two ways that I know of to get comic archives. The first way is to go to Pullboxonline.com and buy them there. Or you can scan them in and create your own archives.
You can send me an e-mail directly at cbviewer@renuncln.com or you can file a bug report on the sourceforge project page.
A cbr file is created as a rar archive and a cbz file is created as a zip file. The advantage to a cbz file is that while it may take slightly more space it is a much more universal and nonproprietary format. The main advantage to a cbr file is that it takes less space.
I wrote CBViewer because I needed a viewer that would work in Linux and on Windows. I was traveling a lot for work at the time and comics take up a lot of space in luggage. So I did some research and found out about CBR and CBZ files. I started scanning in some of my comics and I could bring them back and forth with me on CDs instead of having to bring the originals with me. I have been working on various incarnations of CBViewer for private use for years, this was the first one that I actually decided to release.
I use a lot of open source software so I view CBViewer as one way for me to return something back to the community. I do have a donations button on the front main page for CBViewer, this and some ad content is the only way I am supporting CBViewer. At the moment I have only gotten $0 in donations, and I have gotten $2.13 from the ads (4/24/07). UPDATE: $2.90 as of 6/6/07. Open source software is a labor of love, I am definitely not in this for the money. I mainly ask that you help out CBViewer by contributing ideas and bug reports. If you like the software please write a review (good or bad) and tell your friends about CBViewer.
Currently I am the only developer on CBViewer. I have a full time job and 3 boys as well as a loving wife. All of these need time. I also am constantly working on other projects. I try to get out a release of CBViewer at least once every 6 months. Sometimes more frequently as time allows. As it is I appreciate all input and do consider ideas for eventual addition to CBViewer. So, please keep contributing your ideas and bug reports. If you have an idea or a bug report that is contributed I will add your name to the CREDITS file.